


Two of a Kind

by Juli



Category: Die Hard (Movies), Skyscraper - Fandom
Genre: Conversations, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 07:48:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16081685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Juli/pseuds/Juli
Summary: Will Sawyer survived a criminal attack on a skyscraper.  Good thing there's someone who can give him some advice about what comes next.





	Two of a Kind

Will Sawyer’s limp was pronounced as he walked into FBI headquarters. They’d stayed in Hong Kong for a week after what happened with the Pearl, being debriefed by the local law enforcement and hiding from the media. Will still felt like his bruises had bruises and was especially achy after the long flight back to the States. All the wear and tear on his prosthetic leg didn’t help either. He’d been offered a new one, but after what that leg had seen him through, replacing it felt disloyal. A limp was a small price to pay for the lives of his family.

His wife, Sarah, was a strong presence on Will’s right side. Her arm was around Will’s waist and provided more comfort than support. Sensitive to his mood, Sarah squeezed him tighter. “Penny for your thoughts.”

“Just want this over with so we can go home,” Will admitted.

The government had put the family up in a nice hotel – on the ground floor – after their flight back to the States from Hong Kong but were insistent that Will come in and be debriefed by the FBI. Sarah and the kids came along too, but it wasn’t because they would be interrogated. No, it was just that no one in the family could stand the thought of being in different buildings. Even being on different floors of the same building was out of the question at the moment.

Will had been deeply unsettled by their recent celebrity, but he had to admit that it came in handy at times. His family had been recognized within moments of entering the building and were treated like VIPs. In short order, Sarah and the twins were settled in an empty conference room, with plenty of electronics to keep the kids busy, and Will himself was settled in the office of the Deputy Director of the FBI, Miguel Bowman.

Bowman had been in the cyber division, while Will made his mark in Hostage Rescue, so Will knew the other man only by reputation. The two dissimilar specialties meant that they never had reason for their paths to cross. Sitting across from Bowman, Will wished this wasn’t their first meeting; he wasn’t sure what to expect.

“How are you feeling?” Bowman startled him by asking.

“Feeling?” Will asked. He’d expected Bowman to launch into a spiel that basically questioned every decision that Will had made during the event.

“You and your family were put through the wringer in Hong Kong,” Bowman didn’t seem surprised by Will’s confusion. In fact, his expression was one of sympathy. “Having your family caught in the middle of that must have.- “ Bowman shook his head. “I can’t even imagine.”

“Sarah and the kids are tough,” Will admitted and then the unexpected sympathy in Bowman’s eyes prompted him to add to his statement. “I think they’re tougher than me, actually.”

“I doubt that,” Bowman replied. “Nothing against your wife or kids, but anyone who watched the footage from Hong Kong knows you’re as tough as they come.”

Will winced. The video reports had helped clear his name and earn him public support, but they were still as embarrassing as hell.

Bowman pretended not to notice. “This is the report that the Hong Kong authorities sent over; it’s been translated by our own team. I’d like you to read it and make sure it’s correct.” He handed Will a folder.

Will took the folder, but gingerly, as though it could reach out and bite him. “That’s it?”

The corners of Bowman’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “That’s it. If you haven’t noticed, you don’t exactly work for the FBI anymore.”

“Then why I am here?” Will asked bluntly. “The FBI doesn’t usually get involved in overseas incidents and, like you said, I don’t work for the FBI anymore.”

“What happened at the Pearl was highly publicized; you can’t expect the US government to turn a blind eye.” Bowman leaned back in his chair. “Would you rather talk to the CIA? You’re welcome if you want to, but the FBI takes care of our own, even if you’re officially no longer part of the agency.”

No one in their right mind wanted to talk to the CIA if they didn’t absolutely have to. Will sighed and opened the folder. “You have a point.”

“If it helps, think of it this way,” Bowman offered. “We’ve independently translated the official report from the Hong Kong authorities. This way, you can make sure they’ve accurately recorded what you said happened.”

Will looked at Bowman skeptically but started read.

“Feel free to mark directly on the paper if you want.,” Bowman handed Will a red pen and then stood up. “And since I’m sure the last thing you need is someone reading over your shoulder, I’ll leave you to it. If I’m not back by the time you finish, please let my assistant know.”

And with that, Bowman walked out of the room, leaving Will alone in the office and feeling torn. On one hand, Bowman seemed like an all right guy, but on the other hand, the situation seemed almost too good to be true. Will shook his head. He wanted to ask himself when the FBI, an agency he’s served for years, had become a potential enemy, but he already knew the answer – the minute that his former FBI team member betrayed him.

Will shrugged mentally and started in on the report. The faster he got the task done, the quicker they could go home. Since he’d already seen a version of the report that had been translated by the officials in Hong Kong, he knew pretty much what it said, it was just a matter of verification.

An indeterminate time later, Will was finishing up going over the report a second time when there was a soft knock on the door. Bowman reentered the room. “How’s it going?”

“I’m done,” Will put the file and pen on the desk as Bowman circled around to take his seat behind it. “Didn’t have to make too many changes.” He made as if to stand. “Now, if that’s all, I’ll be going.”

For the first time, Bowman looked uncomfortable. “Actually, I have someone I’d like you to meet, if you wouldn’t mind staying for a few more minutes.”

Will sighed. Same old FBI, give them an inch and they’d take a mile. “I thought you only wanted me to verify the statement?”

“Officially, yes.” Bowman said. “But this person is very eager to meet you and, if you knew him better, you’d know how rare that is. And I think it would be in your own best interest too.”

Abruptly, Will was done with the whole thing; he had a family to get back to. He was willing to cooperate with the FBI to a certain point, but it was sounding like Bowman wanted to show him off to someone and that was crossing the line. He stood and did his best to loom over Bowman’s desk. Given Will’s size, he excelled at looming.

“I don’t do autographs,” Will said through clenched teeth.

“Good, ‘cause I sure as hell don’t want one.”

The voice came from behind Will and he turned to see who’d spoken. At first the man standing in the doorway seemed perfectly nondescript. He was dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, was average in size, had an amused expression on his face, and seemed to be in reasonably good shape. Then Will noticed the finer details, like how the man stood balanced on the balls of his feet, a stance that Will knew from experience meant that he was prepared for action a moment’s notice. The facial expression was friendly, but the eyes were sharp with a gaze that assessed Will every bit as carefully as Will was assessing him. Last but certainly not least, there was a bulge by one arm that was the classic indication of a shoulder holster under the coat.

That last detail sent Will’s gaze back to the stranger’s face and he realized that he knew this man. Maybe not personally, but he’d seen this guy before.

“McClane, you promised you’d be nice,” Bowman said as he got up from his desk.

“That was me being nice,” the newcomer responded, his lips pursing into a smirk. 

Hearing the name helped Will recognize who this was. This was the infamous John McClane; they’d spent a whole week studying him back in the FBI Academy. McClane was police and not FBI, but his ability to improvise in the middle of conflict was legendary. Hell, the whole man was legendary.

“You’re John McClane,” Will hoped his face didn’t look as dazed as his voice sounded.

“In the flesh,” McClane walked fully into the office, his hand held out.

Will woodenly shook it, darting a glance at Bowman in a silent request for an explanation.

“McClane might be the only man on the planet who can understand what you went through on the Pearl,” Bowman said. “Thought he might have some advice for you.”

McClane snorted. “We’re not gonna braid each other’s hair, that’s for damn sure.”

Will took another glance and realized that McClane was as bald as he was – and twice as sarcastic. McClane’s attitude was almost as notorious as his actions; it was good to know that he lived up to that legend. Maybe he’d live up to the rest.

To his surprise, Will found himself eager to take Bowman’s suggestion. “I’d like that.” When McClane’s smirk deepened, he quickly qualified his statement. “The talking, that is. Not so much the braiding.”

Bowman ignored the way Will’s voice trailed off in embarrassment, although the skin around his eyes crinkled deeper as though he were stifling a smile. “I’ll leave you fellas to it.” He made as though to leave the room, but McClane stopped him.

“You know I’m allergic to offices, Bowman,” McClane waved the other man back down. “C’mon, Sawyer, let’s go get some coffee.”

Will pulled up quickly. “I’m not leaving the building without my wife and kids. No way.”

McClane’s expression softened a little. “I’m not asking you to. Been here before and there’s an employee lounge down the hall.”

Bowman put a hand on Will’s arm. “I’ll let Sarah know where you are.”

“Thanks.”

Neither man was inclined to make idle chatter, so the walk down the hall was awkward. The breakroom was empty and there was a pot of coffee going. From the smell, it had been brewing for a while.

The silence continued as McClane poured for them both. By unspoken agreement, the two men settled in a table by the corner where they could each put a back to the wall.

Not sure how to start a conversation, Will took a sip of his coffee – and nearly spit it out. “God, that’s awful.”

McClane’s reaction after he took his first drink was the opposite. “Ah, that’s the stuff; that’ll put hair on top of your head.”

Will eyed his paper cup skeptically. “I’m not sure it’s worth it.”

The only word that could be used to describe McLane’s laugh would be a cackle. The other man became serious quickly, however.

“The nightmares start yet?” McClane asked quietly. He took another sip of his coffee, but his eyes never left Will’s face.

Will suddenly found the rim of his coffee cup very interesting. “Yeah. Pretty much the first night.”

“Let me guess, the nightmares are about what might have happened if you’d failed.” McClane guessed and Will nodded, still not looking up. “Matt tells me that’s from your subconscious and, let me tell you, my subconscious is one mean bastard.”

Every night during the last week, Will’s dreams had been full of visions of holding his little girl while she burned to a crisp, even though the flames never touched him. Or of Sarah and Henry flattened into a bloody puddle because the damn elevator didn’t work the way he promised them it would. Yeah, his subconscious was bastard too.

“I was in the FBI and before that, did two tours in Afghanistan.” Will told the other man. “I’ve been in rough situations before, but this is different.”

“Damn right it is,” McClane agreed. “Because it’s your family.”

“Does it ever go away?” Will asked wistfully. “This need to never let them out of your sight and to bundle them up in bubble wrap?”

McClane smirked. “I think I’ll plead the fifth on that one, but it does get better.” He shook his head and gave Will a look that was part respect and part empathy. “At least my kids were older when they got sucked into my shit. Or, in Jack’s case, when I got sucked into his shit.”

Will was sure there was a story there, but he was too tired to ask.

“And there’s something about being on a high-rise,” McClane continued. “It’s a special kind of hell, to be that far off the ground and know there’s nowhere to run.”

Just remembering that feeling of being trapped almost made Will shudder. “I thought this was supposed to be a pep talk? I gotta tell you, you’re not exactly making me feel better.”

“Who said anything about a pep talk?” McClane scoffed. “I don’t do pep talks, buddy.”

“Then why are you here?” Will asked pointedly. “Bowman said you wanted to talk to me.”

McClane leaned forward, gaze intent. “To warn you what you’re in for.”

“What I’m in for?” Will asked.

“Yeah, your life is about to get a hell of a lot of more interesting.”

“Ran into some of that already in Hong Kong,” Will said, but cautiously. He and his family had already experienced a week of being instant celebrities. It couldn’t get worse, could it?

“I bet, but now you’re in for the homegrown variety,” McClane told him. “Right now you’re everybody’s darling; so much hot air’s gonna be shot up your ass that it’d be easy for your head to swell. Don’t let it, because as soon as the media gets tired of putting you on a pedestal, they’re gonna start taking pot shots at you, trying to knock you off. Every little mistake you ever made is gonna be put under a microscope. Hope for your sake you don’t have too many of those, but whatever you got, they’ll find.”

Will swiped his face with his hand. He’d been a good soldier and had an exemplary record with the FBI, but the first thing he thought of was that night in Minnesota – and how much of a FUBAR that had been. He did not relish the idea of it coming up again, but McClane was right. One way or another, the spotlight put a target on your back.

McClane continued. “And it’s not just you who’s gonna get hounded. You can expect the paparazzi to follow your wife and kids for a while.”

“The hell they will,” Will growled. Sarah was tough, so Will wasn’t worried about his wife, but his children had been through enough.

“Settle down, Papa Bear,” McClane smirked. “But I know how you feel. One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen was my ex-wife decking a reporter who put our kids on TV during the whole Nakatomi thing.”

“Ex?” Will was startled and took another look at McClane’s hand. Yeah, he was remembering right, there was a wedding band on McClane’s finger.

McClane had seen were Will’s eyes were looking and offered an explanation. “Second marriage.” The doubt on Will’s face must have been clear, because McClane was quick to elaborate.

“Me and Holly had trouble way before Nakatomi. It didn’t break us up, it brought us together again. For a while, anyway.” For the first time McClane’s face got tender as he rubbed the ring. “The Fire Sale brought Matt into my life. Thomas Gabriel was a rat bastard, but at least one good thing came out of that shit show.”

McClane glanced up at Will, with a half-wary and half-expectant look on his face. Clearly, he was anticipating Will having a reaction to the fact that McClane had a husband and not a wife. In that regard, at least, Will was happy to disappoint the other man.

“Is he a first responder too?” Will guessed, taking the revelation in stride.

“Not exactly the way you mean,” McClane smirked at Will’s non-reaction. “Matty was one of the first involved, but as a hacker, not in any legal way. Kid stuck with me, though, and saved my daughter.”

“Sarah’s was the first face I saw after the explosion that took my leg and most of my team,” Will said. “And she led the local Hong Kong police to the drop zone so that they could take down the remnants of Botha’s people.”

McClane chuckled and lifted his coffee cup. “Here’s to spouses that kick ass – and hope we never give ‘em a reason to be mad at us.”

That was a toast that Will could gladly engage in. He tapped his cup against McClane’s and managed not to wince when he took the required sip to complete it.

“So that’s what you wanted to tell me?” Will asked. “Expect nightmares and not to let my head get too swollen?”

“That’s half of it,” McClane told him. “The easy half.”

“Half?” Will asked. That did not sound good.

“Yeah, half.” McClane put down his coffee cup and gazed at Will steadily. “Eventually you’re gonna figure out that you don’t feel guilty about killing the bad guys. Then you’ll feel guilty for not feelin’ guilty.”

Will remembered the sick feeling in his gut when he saw Botha with a weapon pointed at Geogia. “Not gonna happen.”

McClane took a long look at Will’s face and evidently liked what he saw there. “Good. Hang on to that.”

The direction the conversation had taken made Will ache to be with his family again. “Anything else?”

“Just one thing,” McClane took time to finish his coffee with one long swig. “Be prepared for it to happen again.”

Will looked at him in disbelief. “Really? You really think I’m gonna let my family on an unfinished skyscraper again and, even if I did, what’s the likelihood that an international terrorist is gonna take them hostage?”

McClane just shrugged. “Like it or not you’re That Guy, Sawyer. The media’s gonna make you out like a hero, but you’re not. You’re just a guy doing your job. Not because you want to, but because there’s no one else to do it. Or, in your case, because there was no one else to save your family.”

“I’m not going to put my family into that kind situation again,” Will said stubbornly. “I’ve got my security business and I’m going to keep my feet on the ground.” He grunted, looking at his prosthetic. “Well, my foot anyway.”

It was McClane’s turn to look uncomfortable.

“About that. . . .” He said, hesitant for the first time. “Would you and your wife be willing to have dinner with Matty and me sometime?”

Will regarded the other man skeptically. “Why do I think there’s more to that invite than sharing a meal?”

“Matt got shot in the leg during the Fire Sale,” McClane admitted. “Left him with a limp. He’s kind of self-conscious about it. The way he watched the footage of you scaling that building, I just think it’d do him some good to talk to you. Kinda prove to him that a limp can’t stop him from doing anything he wants. Besides, Matt started his own business after the Fire Sale, he does cyber security. Something tells me that the two of you have more in common than just a bum leg.”

He might have only known John McClane for less than an hour, but Will already knew that asking for something did not come easy to the man. In fact McClane wanting Will talk to his husband might have been the whole reason for this discussion. That was okay, though. Will had benefitted too.

“Sure,” Will said easily. He got to his feet. “On one condition.”

McClane’s eyes narrowed before he answered. “What’s that?”

“You don’t mention that point about it happening again to Sarah,” Will told him. “She’s an understanding woman, but there are limits.”

“Deal,” McClane agreed readily.

Will mentally warned his stomach and then slammed the rest of his coffee. Thankfully, it stayed there, despite how unpalatable it was. He appreciated McClane coming and talking to him, but Will felt his restlessness grow. That feeling of being away from his family for too long was become urgent.

McClane didn’t seem to need an explanation, which was a relief. Instead, the other man just rose when Will did and tossed his paper cup into the trash as though it were a basketball hoop. Neither of them was surprised when it went in smoothly. Will wasn’t quite as showy, he just tossed his in casually as they walked by.

The walk back to the conference room where Sarah and the kids were waiting was as quiet as their original stroll to the breakroom, but the silence was a lot more comfortable. The wall of the conference room that was facing the corridor was partially frosted. The two men stopped, unseen by Sarah or the kids, and just watched for a few minutes.

“That’s one great family you got there,” McClane complemented Will. There wasn’t a trace of a smirk on his face or sarcasm in his voice.

Will nodded. “They sure are. I’m a lucky man.”

“It’s a good man that knows that,” McClane patted Will on the shoulder and headed towards the door. “You’re gonna be all right, Sawyer.”

“You think so?” 

“Yeah, I do.” McClane smirked a little. “You’re That Guy, remember?”

Will was surprised at how much the other man’s answer meant to him. “Yeah, I guess I am.” 

Before McClane could get too far, Will called out to him. “I’ll talk to Sarah about setting up dinner – but remember that condition.”

“Yeah, I know, no warnings about the Pearl only being the first time.” McClane’s lips pursed in an already-familiar smirk.“Can’t make any promises for Matty, though. That kid’s got a mouth on him.”

Will shook his head in exasperated amusement as John McClane walked away. He had a feeling that a lot of people reacted to the man that way. Even so, Will had to admit that he felt a lot lighter after their talk. McClane was a living, breathing example that it was possible to come through the other side of such an event relatively intact. Will had needed to see that.

“That Guy, huh?” Will murmured under his breath as he prepared to return to his family.

He could think of a lot worse things to be.


End file.
